Boot problem (only boots in safe mode)

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I have a computer that will not boot in regular mode. When I turn it on, it goes into a screen that gives me two choices: repair or boot in standard mode. I can’t use repair because I’ve never had the disc it wants. If I choose boot, it either goes into the same loop or it says on the bottom of the screen: “Boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible[/COLOR]“.

However, if I use the boot options (by pressing F8 when it starts), it goes into the boot options menu, and I can boot into safe mode (with and without networking both work).

I know it’s not something in the hard drive. I have a clone of that drive and when I put that one in, the same problem occurs.

Obviously, if I can’t boot into normal Windows, I can’t log the devices that are OK until the problem occurs.

How can I find what it is that keeps it from booting into the normal Windows (7 Ultimate)?

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Hi joro, read this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html?ltr=R

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See if 0xc000000f — The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible or Use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and repair startup issues in Windows help.

Joe

--Joe

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See if 0xc000000f — The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible or Use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to troubleshoot and repair startup issues in Windows help.Joe

Thanks for the info.

I don’t get the BSofD, but when I try to boot in normal mode, I get the Boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible message on the screen that comes up below the choice of repair or boot.

I’m not sure how to access the Windows Recovery Environment. Any help will be appreciated.

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As a follow-up, I got a Win7 installation disc and tried to use that to repair.

The Win7 boot disk failed to complete it’s preparation. A notice that it could not because of “an I/O failure”.
I disconnected every I/O device found, (wi-fi card, DVD/CD drive, mouse, keyboard) one at a time, but got the same result.

Note: the machine boots perfectly and functions normally in Safe Mode. All applications work (except Safe Mode doesn’t allow anti-virus real-time to function). I can only assume that one of the system files or drivers that isn’t activated in Safe Mode is causing this glitch.

But how do I find it?

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I’m not sure how to access the Windows Recovery Environment. Any help will be appreciated.

Follow these steps to access the Windows Recovery Environment:

Turn the computer on, and immediately press and hold the F8 key.

After several seconds, the Advanced Boot Options screen will appear.

Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight Repair Your Computer, then press the Enter key.

Accept or change the language and keyboard selections, then click Next.

Use the mouse and keyboard to select your Windows user name from the drop-down list, and enter your Windows password, then click OK.

The System Recovery Options menu will appear. It will include several Windows Recovery Environment options, typically including the following:

Startup Repair
System Restore
Windows Complete PC Restore
Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
Command Prompt
Toshiba Recovery Wizard

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Follow these steps to access the Windows Recovery Environment:

Turn the computer on, and immediately press and hold the F8 key.
After several seconds, the Advanced Boot Options screen will appear.
Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight Repair Your Computer, then press the Enter key.
Accept or change the language and keyboard selections, then click Next.
Use the mouse and keyboard to select your Windows user name from the drop-down list, and enter your Windows password, then click OK.

The System Recovery Options menu will appear. It will include several Windows Recovery Environment options, typically including the following below the safe mode choices:

Startup Repair
System Restore
Windows Complete PC Restore
Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
Command Prompt
Toshiba Recovery Wizard

When I use the F8 key my options are different. I get these options in the boot menu below the 3 safe mode choices:

[INDENT]Enable boot logging
Enable low-resolution video (640×480)
Last known good configuration (advanced)
Directory services restore Mode
Debugging Mode
Disable automatic restart on system failure
Disable Driver Signature Enforcement

Start Windows Normally
[/INDENT]

(If I choose any of these I get the BSoD)

My next attempt to fix this will be to use Auslogic’s Autorun to disable drivers, one by one. This will take quite a long time, as there are a large number of drivers shown and I’ll have to reboot for each driver removed.

I’m still very interested in hearing from anyone who may know any other way to solve this problem.

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Hi joro, I’m not sure if it will make any difference. Does your computer & the Win7 disc have Service Pack 1.

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Does your computer & the Win7 disc have Service Pack 1. Is your OS 32bit or 64bit?

Yes to both on SP1 and the OS is 64bit.

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Hi joro, I’m not sure if it will make any difference. Does your computer & the Win7 disc have Service Pack 1.
Is your OS 32bit or 64bit?

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When in safe mode try running an admin command prompt and type ‘sfc /scannow’ then press enter. it will take a little while depending on how many files it has to check and repair. See if it finds any problems it can or cannot repair.

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When in safe mode try running an admin command prompt and type ‘sfc /scannow’ then press enter. it will take a little while depending on how many files it has to check and repair. See if it finds any problems it can or cannot repair.

OK. I did as you said, watched it slowly go to 100% and then verify, fairly quickly. After it finished it went back to the safe mode main screen. No results shown, no messages, no nothing. I have to assume that there was nothing this tool found to repair. I looked for any new files or logs and found ntdata, dated the same time the scan ended, but it wouldn’t let me open it. Probably unrelated anyway.

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Some malware can’t operate in Safe Mode, only in regular mode. Perhaps you have some malware.

Do a scan in Safe Mode. In fact, if you can boot to Safe Mode with Networking, you’ll be able to download and run a free malware scanner, such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415255,00.asp

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Some malware can’t operate in Safe Mode, only in regular mode. Perhaps you have some malware.

Do a scan in Safe Mode. In fact, if you can boot to Safe Mode with Networking, you’ll be able to download and run a free malware scanner, such as Malwarebytes Anti-Malware:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415255,00.asp

Thanks for the tip, MrJim. I have antimalware software installed and scan regularly (quick scan). But on the off chance that something slipped in, I did a full scan with Antimalwarebytes and then an online scan with another program. The system came out 100% clean. I guess its back to plan B (or C or D or E…)

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Thanks for the tip, MrJim. I have antimalware software installed and scan regularly (quick scan). But on the off chance that something slipped in, I did a full scan with Antimalwarebytes and then an online scan with another program. The system came out 100% clean. I guess its back to plan B (or C or D or E…)

Did you try to scan from within Safe Mode? It may make a difference; it sometimes does.

You might also try a pre-Windows scan, with something like Windows Defender Offline:

http://windows.microsoft.com/is-is/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline

The idea behind Safe Mode and pre-Windows is to either reduce or eliminate Windows functionality during the scan, because if Windows has malware, the malware may block your attempt to scan and clean the system.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Did you try to scan from within Safe Mode? It may make a difference; it sometimes does.

You might also try a pre-Windows scan, with something like Windows Defender Offline:

http://windows.microsoft.com/is-is/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline

Thanks. Tried that now, no malware found.

I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a driver or system file that isn’t loaded in safe mode but stops Windows when it attempts to load it in normal mode.

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If you can boot into safe mode, try the Cleanboot diagnostic procedure. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

I siuspect a startup item oor non Microsoft service is causing the issue.

Jerry

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If you can boot into safe mode, try the Cleanboot diagnostic procedure. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

I siuspect a startup item oor non Microsoft service is causing the issue.

Jerry

I’m going to try the Cleanboot procedure as soon as I get the time. Thank you for the suggestion and the link.

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If you can boot into safe mode, try the Cleanboot diagnostic procedure. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
I suspect a startup item or non Microsoft service is causing the issue.
Jerry

I spent the most part of a rainy Sunday going through the Cleanboot diagnostic, following the procedure that Microsoft outlined in the link you provided. It was a long, tedious chore, but sadly, it did not solve the problem.

I also took out each logon item (much more detailed and numerous than msconfig‘s startup), one by one, with Auslogic’s Autorun tool. Lots of pain; no gain.

I’m still hoping someone has a solution they can share.

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Hi joro, are there any errors showing in ‘Device Manager’ ?

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Hi joro, are there any errors showing in ‘Device Manager’ ?

Went to Device Manager – but many of the devices, especially those that are ones I’d like to look at, give me this window:

“Status of this device not available in Safe Mode”

Sadly, that’s not going to help.

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Hi joro, have your tried this ?

33384-Untitled

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http://http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/ht/problem-steps-recorder.htm

Hi joro, have your tried this? (Problem Steps Recorder)

I would if I could. The problem occurs when attempting to boot in normal mode. The boot process is stopping before Windows is launched and Windows has to be running to start PSR. Since I can only boot completely in Safe Mode, which has no problem, I don’t see how this could help. But thanks for the idea, anyway.

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Hi joro, I was looking to see if PSR could be set to run at start-up using task scheduler, seems it’s not possible.
Your best option could be :- 33386-Win7s-Non-destructive-Install

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Hi joro, I was looking to see if PSR could be set to run at start-up using task scheduler, seems it’s not possible.
Your best option could be :- 33386-Win7s-Non-destructive-Install (joro’s note: Roderunner’s excellent step-by-step instructions for a non-destructive re-install of Windows)

Thanks, Roderunner. I tried your step-by-step for a non-destructive re-install of Windows.

The re-install stopped and told me a driver or I/O device was missing. When I tried repair, it told me the same thing. Neither would let the process continue.

33397-noboot233398-noboot1

But the diagnostics told me that it had booted OK. (It must have found a log of a safe mode boot.)

As I said before, the Device Manager doesn’t give information about many devices in safe mode. The ones it does reveal all indicated they were working OK.

I don’t know how I can find out what is stopping the normal mode boot, but lets Windows boot OK in safe mode.

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Hi joro,

Go to your computer manufacturers web site and look for a BIOS update.

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Hi joro,

Go to your computer manufacturers web site and look for a BIOS update.

The machine is already updated with the latest BIOS version.

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As you’ve tried everything without success, you final option is a clean install. 33399-Win7-Upgrade-Install

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As you’ve tried everything without success, you final option is a clean install. 33399-Win7-Upgrade-Install

Wow! Another really excellent step-by-step. I’ve let a number of things slide while I was fretting over this problem, so it’ll be a while until I can get to the clean install. Fortunately, this problem is on a second machine. My main desktop, which is what I’m on right now, is OK. (Knock on wood)

Thanks again for all the suggestions, help and thoughtful comments. I’ll get back to you when I do the clean install.

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In case it takes awhile

26918-Xmas1

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